KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to move forward in the next step towards banning the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers in the unincorporated parts of the County.
The motion, originally authored last year by Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the Santa Clarita Valley, along with fellow Supervisor Janice Hahn, calls for a feasibility study to look into the economic impact of phasing out gas-powered leaf blowers in L.A. County, a move which aims to protect the environment, improve public health and eliminate noise pollution, according to County officials.
“Adopting this motion sets a clear course of action for our County to safeguard our unincorporated neighborhoods and help small businesses comply with new state rules,” Barger said. “I’m all for aiding small business owners in their switch to more environmentally friendly landscaping equipment. Change is hard and inflation is sky high – everyone is feeling a squeeze. I’m hopeful that County-sponsored grants and other incentives will accelerate change and make a difference.”
Although the transition from gas-powered to relatively quieter zero-emission tools can be expensive, the supervisors are set to make a difference by supporting the small business in the area by offsetting the cost of new equipment, according to County officials.
“Gas-powered leaf blowers are loud and pollute more than many cars,” Hahn said. “We need to phase them out but making the switch to zero-emissions tools is expensive. We should support these small businesses and individual gardeners and help offset the costs of replacing their equipment.”
Tuesday’s motion calls for a feasibility study led by the County’s Chief Sustainability Officer, in collaboration with subject matter experts from several other County Departments, including the Departments of Economic Opportunity, Consumer and Business Affairs, Public Health, Public Works and the Office of Immigrant Affairs.
A report back from the feasibility study is due by October 2022.
AB 1346
Introduced by Assemblymember Marc Berman, (D-Menlo Park), AB 1346 is set to require the state Air Resources Board (ARB) to adopt cost-effective regulations to prohibit engine exhaust from all off-road engines and is expected to go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, according to an announcement from Berman’s office.
“The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: Small off-road engines (SORE), which are used primarily in lawn and garden equipment, emit high levels of air pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx), reactive organic gasses (ROG), and particulate matter (PM),” reads the text of AB 1346.
This bill comes after a new report found that SORE were emitting more air-borne toxins than light-duty cars, according to state officials.
Sponsored Articles
KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
While this may score points with some voters it will do next to nothing to improve the environment. The burning of coal is by far the biggest source of air pollution and China the number one culprit. Considering the price of gasoline and the scarcity of water it is time we ditch our misguided and obsolete notion of having an obligatory lawn display in favor of drought-tolerant landscaping. Initial investments will quickly be offset by savings brought about by cutting way down on the first two items. Realizing, as much as we may like to think otherwise, we live in a desert climate that is becoming even more so. That is not going to go away in our lifetimes.
Your correct nothing we do will matter if China,Russia and India continue on their paths.
So give up and do nothing.
Yes. That is the best thing YOU can do.
Banning this from only CA is ridiculous as if this is the only state that will heal our environmental issues. If done shouldn’t all states participate? Ok so it passed, and the US hasn’t figured out how to properly dispose of the batteries and the long term effects that will have. Putting out one fire only to create another. Lawn service companies will go out of business and on unemployment. The control our government has over American people is increasing every day. It’s a very scary thought. Take an overall look: outrageous gas prices why? Food prices? All other commodities high in price? Don’t tell me Ukrainian war BS? America stand up and become self sufficient. We only have one company that makes baby formula? Really? So one state is not going to make a difference you are getting more rules and from who? We are in a very bad place right now
They can shove their electric only
Lawn equipment mandate you their tight asses! God Damn Fascists!
Amen…They can piss off.
It’s absolutlely meaningless, and they know it…..SOMEONE just wants their name on a Bill. They piss off.
So give up and do nothing, despite evidence that this requirement is better for the environment. Even a small amount of help is not too much to ask.
Sorry Arn, you seem to be an idealog and are void of common sense. Time to wake up!
Arn ,
A greater impact would be cutting off China made products(Amazon) . Cargo ships and Jets are a major contributor to air quality issues . I find it interesting how those that scream for better air quality are the same individuals that take several cruises a year or hop on a jet to go on vacation . A 747 at idle on the tarmac can burn 400 gal an hour. Taking off is where they burn the most fuel (up to 5000 gal )while trying to reach their cruising altitude. If people want to make a difference then they need to re-evaluate their life style and who they buy their products from and not a home owner out mowing his or her lawn .
How ‘bout both?
It’s called lets start desalinization plants, hydro, and nuclear, but the Eco-fascists are just dead set on bird choppers and solar because of control from the CCP because politicians have sold-out. The landfills that will need to be created from all the Lithium what is another sell-out to the CCP, follow the money Arn. I agree with you to do something, the solutions the left are suggesting are sell-outs to bad people at our expense. I voted for Schellenberger as an independent because of this issue, and he left the Democrat party because of they’re unreasonable and flat-out dishonesty, let alone being anti-business. This law does nothing to do anything beneficial for working class people or the environment.
Conservationists > Environmentalists (in CA Eco-fascists)
Lousy attitude!!!!!Heaven forbid someone hand you a paper straw.
No leaf blowers? might mean someone has to pick up a broom and rake like the old days instead of blowing it into someone’s yard.
I agree,Mike!
Eliminating gas-powered leaf blowers is perfect for the person who isn’t going to adjust his lifestyle in any other way that affects climate change.At least it’s something! San Marino outlawed them over 20 years ago, due to noise and exhaust.
For people digging deeper, I’m all for anything we can do to make things better. Not interested in insults, while our planet’s situation worsens due to human behavior.Desalination is not a good solution, if you read up on the damage the expelled hot water and brine do to the ocean. But let’s agree to try harder, politics aside.
I’m interested in good solutions.
LA banned leaf blowers back in the 1980s. The liberals deemed it “racist,” a morbidly obese “activist” went on an alleged hunger strike, and LA quickly backed down.
This is perhaps the first time the Global Hoaxing nonsense has actually worked in my favor. I’ve always hated the leaf blowers and strongly suspect they’re the culprits behind the asthma epidemic. They’re certainly why everything is so ridiculously dusty. Being the only person who refuses to use one means all the neighbor’s yard waste ends up at my house for me to sweep up.
But the fact is, Democrat DA Gascon is letting peple go for drug dealing, guns, stolen property, etc. Is anyone going to enforce this law? Yes, against white homeowners. But never against anyone else.
What is global hoaxing nonsense?
They have lost their minds. Yea I get it. I am in a traffic jam of leaf blowers and lawn mowers every morning on the 5 to the 405 to the 10. Maybe our lawmakers should be taking lithium for their by-polar disorder rather than using it in batteries. It would be of better use and a smaller amount.
The over reaction of the chronic hysterical Liberals against anything gas will put their Illegal Alien buddies/ilk out of business which will result in more taxpayer handouts & unemployment! The insane Liberals are trying to get us out of our cars but now, as always, they’re going too far with their global warming/climate change hysteria! Wake up, not Woke up Sheeple!
You are so defensive and judgmental that you aren’t looking at the actual facts of climate change and our role in it.
All of your blaming gets old. Put the hatred on the back burner and give yourself the chance to learn.
This is more stupid than banning plastic bags.
Obviously you haven’t seen the satellite pictures of Earth with unbelievably huge plastic bag swirls in the oceans.
At least younger people understand that things can change for the better , but they can’t do it alone.